An Advisor to Wake Up To
by GreyLiliy
Summary: After the General went to such lengths to make sure Kylo Ren made it to Snoke alive, it's the least Kylo can do to make sure the General is better compensated for his troubles than what their Master had planned. Though perhaps a new job is not quite what Hux had in mind. Dealing with Kylo's Ren calling to the Light, even less so.
1. Chapter 1

_This was inevitable. With as much as I've been obsessing over Kylo Ren and that stupid (I love him) General Hux, this was inevitable._

 _So let's get on with it (I swear, I write the best stuff when I'm supposed to be asleep…). Not sure if I'll add another chapter or not. Guess it'll depend on how I'm feeling later._

* * *

 **Chapter 1**

"What a mess you are," Hux said. Kylo could feel him, unable to see with his eyelids glued shut with exhaustion. He felt the man's pulse from his chest as Kylo's head rested in his lap. "But at least you're breathing."

Hux's hands cradled Kylo's head as the ship rocked, keeping it still like a brace. The entire room rumbled, trembling from a struggling engine. Kylo felt the other two crew members panic as they try to keep the broken shuttle on course in the strained lightspeed trip. Hux's gloves were missing, and bare fingers were on his cheeks.

"Which I really need you to keep doing," Hux said again, voice strained. His index finger dug into the thickest band of the burn scar on Kylo's lower jaw. It circled there, a nervous, painful tick as the man breathed heavily. Hux whispered, unaware Kylo was awake enough to hear him. "I really can not afford to show up to Snoke with a dead man. So do your best to stay alive, would you? I'd make it an order but we both know you wouldn't listen to that. You never listen to my advice."

The Knight of Ren snorted; Hux must be tired, too if he was this casual with conversation.

It's painful and sluggish, but Kylo reached out enough with the Force to lick at Hux's memories to find out what was going on. The last he remembered was the ground splitting and that _girl_ with his rightful lightsaber on the other side. Then there was snow and the burning sky and then Hux. Kylo sees Hux's last orders from Snoke, and his hurried trip to follow a tracking beacon with a terrified crew wondering why their General had lost his mind wanting to go back into the woods when they should be leaving the doomed planet.

Kylo made it up to the point where Hux fell on his knees in the snow, shouting for people to drag Kylo to the shuttle before exhaustion hits too hard for Kylo to keep up his focus.

He'd have to find out more the hard way then.

"Where are we?" Kylo asked, dragging his eyes open. Hux's hair was a mess, bits of it plastered to his forehead. His greatcoat was bunched behind him, having fallen off his shoulders and nested around the two of them as they sprawled out on the bench mounted to the wall. "Why are we in a shuttle?"

"Look at that," Hux said, near sighing in relief. Contrary to his relaxed tone, the General's fingers continued to dig painfully in the scar on Kylo's cheek. "He lives. You can follow a simple task, Ren."

"Hux," Kylo pressed when his question went unanswered.

"We're in a shuttle because Starkiller turned into a star," Hux said, sucking in a breath. His hands tightened and the bags under his eyes were deep purple. "Caught nearly everything in orbit with it. Half of the Finalizer was decimated. She's dead in space."

"Shame," Kylo said, and he meant that. It was his favorite ship to stalk in all of the First Order. The only ship with a General stupid enough to bicker with Kylo as an equal and expect no consequence. Where else in the First Order would he find that sort of a challenge? Kylo swallowed, mouth dry. "We are going to Snoke?"

"Good guess," Hux said. He licked his lips and leaned over, voice still low. "Speaking of which, I'd appreciate it if you didn't die before we got there. Technically, you're still bleeding from that wound on your side. There were only so many bandages on the shuttle and there was no chance to dock with the larger ship before we made the jump. Those damn resistance fighters were hunting around for survivors and we had to leave."

The half, rushed explanation spoke more of Hux's exhaustion than the bags under his eyes or the casual mumblings. Kylo couldn't help it as he asked, "Have you slept?"

"Can't," Hux said. "I can't afford to sleep, not when your breathing keeps stopping every so often. I've had to hit you to get you back at it a few times now."

Kylo wondered at that. He certainly didn't feel like he'd stopped breathing for any period of time.

Hux paused heavily before he started speaking again. "It'd be nice if you stayed awake to stop that."

"You're terrified," Kylo said, noting the trembling as the man continued to ramble. The fingers on his face squeezed and the other man's brow furrowed. Kylo held in the wince as the tender flesh squeezed. "Of Snoke?"

"Starkiller failed, Ren," Hux said. "Whether or not I'll avoid punishment may or may not depend on whether or not I can do this final task. So if you would please cooperate and not die before we get there, again, I'd appreciate it."

Kylo hummed and shut his eyes again. He fell back asleep to the lullaby of Hux's cursing.

* * *

The second time Kylo awoke, Hux was asleep. He would take bets it was against Hux's fierce will that it had occurred. Kylo found himself amused that even the cold General fell to basic human needs and weakness. More awake than before, Kylo found the strength to shift, body stiff and aching with each movement. The sticky blood squished as his soaked robes moved near his waist.

Kylo was still half in Hux's lap. Eyes open, he could now see how the man's coat had been wrapped around his waist, his sleeves used as impromptu pillows. Hux's head was tilted at an awkward angle against the wall of the shuttle, his shoulders stiff and arms limp. One hand still clung to a few strands of Kylo's hair; it had probably been buried in his scalp before Kylo moved.

At the front of the shuttle, he could see a trooper at the controls, helmet off and eyes forward. He paid no mind to the occupants on at the back, all of his attention occupied by making sure the shuttle stayed on course. Kylo could not see the second person, but he felt his presence below the floor, likely in the hold watching the engines. Kylo didn't need the Force to know the shuttle had been damaged in its escape; barely holding together.

"You," Kylo asked, sitting up on the elbow on his burned side. The lightsaber wound dug into his entire shoulder and neck, still burning against the oxygen in the shuttle. "Pilot."

The trooper jerked and turned, eyes wide. His eyes darted between the status lights on the console and Kylo. "Lord Ren. You're awake!"

"How long until our destination?" Kylo asked, ignoring the way a new trickle of blood escaped the hasty bandages against his side. It was warm, almost welcoming when compared to the burn on his face and opposite side, even if it hurt far more.

The trooper swallowed. "Another ten hours."

"As you were," Kylo said. The trooper took the dismissal as it was and quickly returned to staring at his controls.

Kylo slid back down and returned to his earlier position with his head in Hux's lap. The man had barely stirred, breathing heavy and deep. His hair curled near the wall, unwilling to decide where the sweat-soaked strands wanted to stick. He closed his eyes and breathed in, moving a hand to cover his side wound.

The burns hurt, but it was the escaping blood that worried him.

* * *

"Ren!"

The third time Kylo woke, was to a shout. He jerked, unable to move with Hux's hands pressed on his shoulders. The man's eyes were wild and he shook, lips bruised and chest heavy with his hurried breaths. Kylo's ribs ached; a new pain lurking just under his skin.

Hux and Kylo's eyes met and the General dropped his head, letting it rest on Kylo's shoulder. "Oh, thank you. Thank the stars."

Kylo touched at his ribs, fingers brushing against Hux's shoulders and the white sleeves of his dress shirt. His uniform jacket abandoned. He pressed and winced, finding the broken rib after a few exploratory touches.

Hux lifted his head and rubbed under his nose. "Sorry. Your heart." The man paused, half delirious in his panic and exhaustion. He likely didn't get as much sleep as Kylo. Hux was still leaning on Kylo, pressing on both his wound and newly broken rib. "It stopped. Your heart stopped and then your lungs followed. You weren't breathing and I had to…"

The General trailed off, waving his fingers in the air. His face was flushed with exertion more so than embarrassment, even if he struggled to say the words "resuscitated you." Hux shifted to sit more upright on the corner edge of the bunk. "I might have broken a rib getting it to start again. I hope that's not a problem."

"Better than the alternative," Kylo said, voice dry. He felt tired and pale. The blood loss must have been even worse than he knew. "How much longer?"

"Ten minutes," Hux said. He glared at Kylo with all the hatred he could muster. "If you had died ten minutes before I could have delivered you, I would have never forgiven you. I want you to know that."

"Noted, General," Kylo said. He closed his eyes and popped them right back open with Hux smacked his fist into the side of his chest, sending a wave of fresh pain across his body. "What?"

"No more going to sleep," Hux said. "It's ten minutes. Stay awake."

"Fine," Kylo said. He kept his eyes open and watched out the front window of the shuttle.

If he glanced at the disheveled red head every so often, he could hardly be blamed.

* * *

One of Kylo's Knights greeted their shuttle when it landed at the gifted coordinates. Kylo had managed to lean up on his side in time to watch the woman stalk into the ship and kill the two troopers with barely a second glance.

The General's breath hitched and the fear that radiated off him was unbecoming, though not unwarranted when the woman stalked toward the two of them, her mask barely hiding the intentions her body gave away far more than her face ever would. Her weapon raised over her head and Hux flinched, bracing for the blow.

Blood gushed from Kylo's side as he threw his hand up, barely stopping the weapon with the Force. Every inch of him wanted to collapse in a heap, but he held it and took in her shock at Kylo's intervention. The blade was an inch from Hux's face, the space widening as the man sunk into the bench, backing into Kylo's legs.

"Master," his Knight said, dropping the weapon at her side. "Our Supreme Leader was quite explicit with his instructions."

"The good General will be accompanying me," Kylo said, broken rib digging into his side. "This is not open to negotiation."

"The Supreme Leader will not be pleased, Master," his Knight replied.

"I'll deal with that," Kylo said. When the hostile intent left his Knight, he lowered his arm and knocked his knee into the General's back. He sucked in a heavy breath. "Now if you don't mind, I'd appreciate a bacta tank."

"Of course, Master," his Knight answered.

Two servants entered the shuttle shortly with a gurney. They aided Kylo shift from the bench to the medical bed, all of them ignoring the slips of blood that fell to the floor after being freed from his robes. They rushed him out of the shuttle, a few already taking numbers on his vitals as they went down the halls toward the medical facilities.

Kylo kept his eyes on the Knight that grabbed Hux by the arm and dragged him out of the shuttle in the opposite direction.

* * *

"I hear you spared Hux's life," Snoke said from his chair. He looked unimpressed, though not angry. More amused than anything, and Kylo did not miss the intentional drop of Hux's title. "Interesting."

Kylo stood before him, no longer under threat of death after two days in a Bacta tank. His face remained scarred, the wound long soaked into his skin before the bacta could affect it. The wound on his side from the bowcaster, however, had healed much cleaner—the only true benefit perhaps of it never having fully closing in the first place.

"Personal opinions aside, it seemed like a waste," Kylo said, standing straighter as he reported. _And ungrateful_ , Kylo said to himself. After all that personal effort in keeping Kylo alive, even if it was driven entirely by self-serving fear, it would hardly be thanks to kill the man for it. "He's loyal and capable even now, failure at Starkiller aside."

Besides, Kylo had no desire to work with the man's other peers. He'd spent over five years working with Hux and he was finally at a place of understanding with the man, even if they did work each other's last nerves at the best of times.

"Hux has already been stripped of his rank and replaced," Snoke continued. Ever wise, he continued still. "While I will concede the loss of Starkiller was not on his shoulders, it was still his project and he was in charge. Whether or not the weapon worked means nothing when someone must be held accountable for its loss."

Kylo gritted his teeth and breathed. The unspoken alternative of Kylo taking the fall was implied enough that he almost kept his mouth shut. But the lingering memory of wide eyes surrounded by purple bags and a desperate need to keep Kylo alive refused to go away. "Master, I ask that you reconsider his execution all the same."

"I suppose you have a point," Snoke said. He shrugged and leaned back. "His demotion and exile from the First Order may indeed be punishment enough, though I doubt he'll forgive you for denying him a quick death in the future. I certainly doubt that whatever the resistance has planned to execute the man behind the death of the Hosnian system would hardly be as kind as a quick death from your Knight."

"Hux is resourceful," Kylo said. "I doubt it will come to that."

Kylo wouldn't let it come to that. It shouldn't be too hard to hide a single man away while Kylo and the Order took revenge for Starkiller and wiped the rest of those wretched Resistance fighters out of existence.

"So certain," Snoke said. He waved his hand. "Fine, keep your pet if you must, but do not be distracted. Your final training begins in the coming days."

"Of course, Master," Kylo said, bowing at the waist and refusing to squirm as he considered the reasons why Snoke would have called Hux a "pet."

Just what did he see about Kylo that he himself had yet to notice?

* * *

The only thing recognizable from the shivering creature sitting with his legs splayed out on the floor of the small cell were the eyes. The uncombed hair, the stubble, the torn clothes and bare hands all belonged to a poorly kept stranger.

The glaring eyes, though, those were undoubtedly the property of a certain General.

"Come to get on with it then?" Hux asked, glaring all the while. "I assume you were corrected by your dear Master, yes?"

"You're not going to die Hux," Kylo said. He punched in the code to lower the cell door energy shield and lingered in the entranceway. Disbelief was easy enough to pick up now that he had his senses about him, and the Force was much more eager to tell Kylo all he wanted to know about the man who hadn't moved an inch since he was greeted. "Or at least no one here is going to kill you."

"Oh?" Hux asked.

"I argued your case," Kylo said. He shrugged, blowing a bit of hair out of his face. He missed his mask already. "Your execution is off the block, though I couldn't save your rank. Regretfully, your dishonorable discharge could not be avoided."

"Wonderful," Hux huffed. He dropped his eyes and rubbed his face, long fingers digging into his eye sockets as he massaged the skin there. Kylo's cheek twitched, remembering the feel of those same fingers digging into his own burnt skin. Hux dragged them down his face and glared again. "Do I at least get a ride off this planet?"

"I suppose that's up to you," Kylo said. "Dropping you off wherever you'd like to go is the least I could do for your efforts to save my life."

"I was under orders, you know," Hux said. "It was hardly sentimental enough for you to owe me anything."

"Considering the outcome would have been the same whether you saved my life or not, I'll consider it a favor," Kylo said, a smile tugging at the corner of his lips. Either way, he ought to thank the Gen—Hux for the very at least giving a glimpse under the man's icy exterior. He'd gotten quite the display of emotions on that short shuttle ride. "I hardly see why you'd complain about that."

"I'm not," Hux said. He stood, refusing to meet Kylo's eyes. "I just wanted to be clear."

"Fair enough," Kylo said.

They stood awkward and quiet with each other after a moment. Both still separated by the walls of the cell, even with the door open. Hux looked thinner than before, gaunt in a way that confirmed Kylo's suspicions he hadn't been fed during his own recovery time.

"Come on," Kylo said. "You can think about where you'd like to be dropped off over some supper. I'm sure when you take into account all the people who want you dead outside of the First Order, it's going to require some thought."

"I suppose it will," Hux said. He sounded tired again, though not in the same way he had on the shuttle. It was more defeated.

Kylo found he didn't appreciate it. The man who destroyed an entire system ought to be more proud, even now in defeat. Kylo hadn't even wanted to fire the weapon in the first place and he still felt an inch of respect for the man willing to give that order. Hux needed to sound like himself again. He was never going to do that hiding out in the wild, running from authority like a common smuggler.

Hux left the cell, waiting at Kylo's side for which direction they should go, shoulder's rounded and a strand of red in between his eyes where it hung loose.

Kylo hated himself even as he opened his mouth. "Though, you could always consider an alternative."

"And what might that be?" Hux asked as they began walking down the hallway.

"You could always work for me," Kylo said, proud that he managed to say it so evenly without wincing. "Technically speaking, the Knights of Ren work outside of the Order, so it'd be a loophole to your discharge."

It took Kylo an embarrassing six more steps before he noticed Hux had stopped following him. He turned, taking in the confused look split between embarrassed anger and an odd desperate relief. It was a bit more like his old self, and Kylo supposed that was enough for the moment.

The rest could come later.

"Work for you?" Hux repeated, the question clear. "In what sense? I'm hardly going to be one of your Knights."

He stomped forward holding his hands up, dashing right past Kylo a few steps ahead. Hux shook his head. "Never mind. It doesn't even matter. I'd rather take my chances with the Resistance than put up with you as a legitimate superior."

Kylo fought the laugh that bubbled up in his chest. That had been one-hundred percent the General who used to go toe to toe with him on the Finalizer. Kylo caught up with the red head's hurried steps and used his inch of height and longer legs to keep stride easily.

"I was thinking an advisor position," Kylo said. He waved his hand in the air, tempted to tug at Hux's unkept hair. It refused to stay put where it belonged. "You do so love to tell me what I'm doing wrong."

"Like you'd even listen," Hux muttered.

"You'd still get to say it."

Hux stopped again, turning around to stand face to face with Kylo. His eyes glanced over Kylo's face, stopping for the slightest few moments over the scar on his face. Hux looked away before settling into a staring contest.

"What's in it for you?" Hux asked, eyebrow raised. He tilted his head, knocking even more hair into his eyes. Whatever he'd used to style it back on the ship had long sweated out of his hair and the grease failed to keep the same hold. Kylo's fingers itched to push it back and out of his face. The disheveled look didn't suit the prim and proper ex-General at all. Hux pressed again when Kylo didn't answer immediately. "What reason could you possibly have to want me around?"

"A gut feeling you'll be useful in the future," Kylo said, settling on the simplest answer. However that would reveal itself, had yet to be seen. "Do I need another reason?"

Sadly, Hux was smart and a little better at reading people than he'd ever give away in normal conversation. He strode closer until he was in Kylo's personal space, a mere breath away. "What game are you really playing at Ren?"

Kylo gave into temptation and pushed Hux's hair out of his face, and walked away without answering.

He wasn't sure he had a better one just yet.

* * *

Hux wouldn't have admitted it even under threat of death, but he was deeply grateful for the bath and meal he'd been given after awkwardly yelling at Kylo for answers as they continued down the hall to the Knight's quarters.

But Kylo knew better: Not only did he have the Force that allowed him to straight up read the thoughts from the man's head, but he also had eyes. The relieved smile and increased pep were hard to miss.

It made lending Hux his shower and allowing him to share his living space at Snoke's castle all the more worth it.

"Are you done sulking now or are you going to be straight with me?" Hux asked, straightening the collar on his borrowed shirt. Ren's Knight hadn't been happy to lend Hux his clothes, but Kylo's would have been too big. "Because I don't buy that advisor thing for a minute."

"Maybe I just enjoy your company?" Kylo threw out there. It was true enough in an odd way. Hux had always balanced him out one way or another. And it was really hard not to at least become fond of a man who'd been your pillow after a planet exploded. "Five years is more than enough time to get used to someone being around."

"You'd miss me?" Hux asked, like the words tasted sour on his mouth. "You must have hit your head in addition to everything else that tried to kill you on that damned planet."

"Maybe," Kylo said. "But unless you have a better suggestion, I'm failing to see why it's such a bad offer."

"Perhaps I'm skittish working so close with you and Snoke again," Hux admitted. "He could change his mind about whatever little pardon he gave at any time, and we both know you won't disobey a direct order to kill me a second time."

"He won't," Kylo said.

"And how do you know that?"

"He keeps his word," Kylo said. He stood from his chair and walked around the table in the small sitting area. Their evening meal dishes still littered the surface. He pressed his hands on the surface leaning over toward Hux. "But more importantly, as long as you don't prove a detrimental distraction, I can do whatever I like with you. Let you live. Kill You. Keep you. Let you go. None of it matters because he doesn't care."

"What exactly would count as being a detrimental distraction?" Hux asked. He crossed his arms and held his nose up. Kylo could practically feel him shove down the notion that Ren had any sort of real power over his life. The denial was palpable. Hux covered it up with bravado. "That might be something that needs to be clarified."

"Do you plan to stop me from finding Luke Skywalker or destroying the Resistance?" Kylo asked.

"No," Hux said, scrunching his nose.

"Then you won't be a detrimental distraction." Kylo tugged on the edge of Hux's collar, fingers brushing near his neck. He loved how Hux's pulse skipped a beat for reasons he couldn't even begin to fully fathom just yet. Kylo tapped Hux's neck. "Do yourself a favor and accept a good thing when it's handed to you."

"I still don't like the idea of answering to you in any way shape or form."

"It's better than the alternative, I'd imagine."

"You said that on the shuttle, too." Hux took a seat at the table, away from Kylo's fingers, and smoothed down his hair. He stared at the table, conflicted and proud. "Sometimes I wonder."

Kylo sat across from him and tugged over an empty plate. He spun it on the table slowly with the Force. Hux watched it, annoyed at the abuse of power for such a silly thing. It made Kylo want to smile. "You do know, you could just leave any time if you didn't like it. It's not like I'm going to imprison you if you choose to stay for a while."

"I'm still trying to figure out what the logistics of the position would even be." Hux reached over and slammed the plate into the table to stop Kylo's play. "What would I even be advising you about?"

"Plans, social necessities, whatever else have you," Kylo said. He waved his hand, throwing Hux's fingers off the plate. "Snoke gives me tasks, but very rarely any specifics on how to complete them. You'd be helping with that sort of thing, much the same as you used to do, only now we'd have the same task to complete instead of parallel objectives."

"So what? I'd follow you around like a pet and occasionally whisper in your ear when I think you're going to do something stupid?

Kylo couldn't stop the laugh this time. Hux using the same term to describe himself as Snoke had was too funny, all implications aside.

"What?" Hux asked, face flushing at the laughter. "What's so funny?"

"Nothing, that's just," Kylo paused and shook his head. He leaned his head into the palm of his hand and stared at the other man with a smirk. "That's exactly what you'd be doing."

Hux failed to share Kylo's good humor, but the wheels were already turning as he considered Kylo's offer.

* * *

The second time Kylo and Hux shared a bench on a shuttle, it was far more pleasant. For starters, they could both sit upright and neither was injured or exhausted beyond the point of reason. The extra pillows on the seat cushions certainly didn't hurt either.

"I don't know how you talked me into this," Hux said, arms crossed and back straight. He continued to wear the borrowed clothes from one of Kylo's Knights, but they would remedy that once they got back into First Order space. Hux glared at nothing and everything. "I must have lost my mind agreeing to this. I can already tell it's going to be a disaster."

"We've barely begun the next mission from Snoke," Kylo pointed out, smiling to himself. "It can't be that bad already."

"So you say." Hux turned his head. "And why a mission? Weren't you supposed to finish your training or something?"

"I am," Kylo said. "This is part of that training."

"Again my point, how am I supposed to advise you when I don't even know what you're doing?"

"You're taking a fake job far too seriously, Hux." Kylo closed his eyes and leaned back in the seat. "Learn to relax. Consider this a vacation."

"Oh no," Hux said. He turned in the seat and Kylo reached out with the Force to feel every inch of Hux's indignation. The man burned with it. Hux grabbed the side of Kylo's cloak and shook it. "I refuse to sit around and be useless twiddling my thumbs. You wanted an advisor, you're going to get one. So I highly suggest you start being a bit more forthcoming with the information I need to know to do my job."

"You changed your mind awfully quick," Kylo said, cracking one eye open to look at Hux. "What happened to this being a disaster?"

"Oh, it'll still be that for sure," Hux said. He let go of Kylo's cloak and patted the fabric down before sitting back in his seat where he had been. "I'd just rather be an active participant than a spectator."

"Fair enough." Kylo judged the distance between the two of them and shrugged. He fell on his side, once again using Hux's thigh as a pillow. "Wake me when we arrive."

"Ren?" Hux nudged his shoulder. "Ren! Get off. Stop this nonsense."

"You didn't mind before," Kylo said, smiling to himself. Hux's fingers pressed into his shoulders as he shoved, but Kylo weighed far more and the Force at his disposal. He wasn't moving. "You were quite accommodating."

"I was making sure you weren't going to die," Hux said. Kylo closed his eyes, not needing them to know Hux was turning red in anger. It heated his entire body; feeling warm and comfortable in a way Kylo could have hardly appreciated before. Hux continued shoving to no avail. "It's hardly the same circumstances. Stop this and remove yourself immediately."

"I think not," Kylo said. "Get some sleep while you can, Hux. We'll be arriving sooner than you think."

"I can't believe your shuttle doesn't have a bunk if you're just going to sleep through it all," Hux said. He gave up and leaned back, crossing his arms. He leaned against the wall and his breathing slowed. "So here's your first bit of advice: invest in a personal shuttle that has beds."

"Noted." Kylo laced his fingers and felt more than comfortable enough to fall asleep once again to Hux's cursing.


	2. Chapter 2

_So as it turns out, I felt this at least deserved another chapter from Hux's point of view. Still not totally sure where I want this to go (let's be real, this entire fic exists because I wanted to write the first three paragraphs of chapter 1), but it's turning into something a bit bigger than originally planned. So, here's what I've got for now._

 _Also, I took some creative liberties with the Force (Dark/Light Side), Temple & Holocron stuff. So, don't expect canon world building accuracy or anything. Enjoy! XD_

* * *

 **Chapter 2**

They were clothes shopping. Hux paused shifting a tunic to the side on the rack and mentally adjusted: They were clothes stealing.

Ren stood at the front of the store, arms crossed near the locked doors, comfortable in his regular robes and hood. The store didn't open for another two hours and the few employees who had been in early were in the back room asleep thanks to one of Ren's little Force tricks. Hux would have been more impressed if he weren't in the middle of a rather depressing existential crisis.

Kylo Ren was human.

Hux slammed a tunic aside as he looked for one in his size and in a color he could tolerate. That wretched, Force-wielding terror was as human as Hux. Another tunic slipped across the rack with more force than necessary. Ren was capable of dying. Sure, it was something that Hux had always known deep down (after all, he'd seen the man between the mask a few times - he knew, technically that Kylo Ren was human and therefore mortal), but he had never truly internalized it.

Not until the man was bleeding out in the snow, that is. It was not until Hux had literally felt the man's breath and heart stop that it sunk in that the Master of the Knights of Ren was a mortal being. Hux had trembled as he'd muttered under his breath "Ren's dead. Ren is dead. Kriff. Kriff. Kriff. Start the heart again. Get it started!" with hurried breaths as he compressed the man's chest and filled Ren's lungs with Hux's own air until it worked again.

Hux glanced at the Knight of Ren out of the corner of his eyes. The man looked bored, half-lidded and near-pompous, as if he hadn't nearly died last week. How dare he be so oblivious to the damage he'd done to Hux's preconceived notions, especially when the memories of his bleeding corpse were so fresh?

He tugged a cream tunic free and looked it over. The color was wrong and he put it back. Hux pulled out another in black this time, and returned it just as quickly. The last thing he wanted to do was match Ren.

Stupid, mortal Ren.

One of the things Hux had always loathed and envied about the mysterious Knight that was his Co-Commander was how invincible he was. Kylo Ren could stop blaster bolts in mid air and choke people without ever touching them. Hux had seen Ren slaughter hoards of enemy troops by himself with an ease that made even Phasma jealous. The man was so invincible he used a broken saber without even the slightest hint of worry that it might blow up in his face one day.

It was easy to believe that nothing could defeat him; it was the sole factor that made working with Kylo Ren worth it. Any sign of a lost temper, a damaged console, or even just the sheer superiority the man radiated could be ignored because the man could back it up with power. An important ally, even if he did grate on Hux's nerves. Ultimately, Lord Ren was someone to be feared, and Hux could appreciate that even when he harbored his own little daydreams of choking the man to death if he made Hux look bad in front of their Supreme Leader in their little rivalry one more time.

But now Hux knew better; the illusion was shattered.

"We can stop later for more clothes," Ren said, disturbing Hux's thoughts. He remained at the door, watching Hux now instead of the wall. A wave of hair fell over his eyebrow as he tilted his head, motioning a finger toward the clothes. It was still odd to see the man without his mask. "You only need enough for a week or so at the moment."

"Of course," Hux said. He dropped his hand away from the rack, tugging with it a mid-length tunic in a dark maroon. He held it up and frowned. "You'll have to forgive me, but I've been wearing nothing but assigned uniforms since I was a child. Trying to figure out the appropriate wear for an advisor isn't quite my forte."

Ren snorted and abandoned his post at the wall to stride over. He tugged the maroon tunic out of Hux's hands and put it back on the rack. He shifted through a few and mumbled, "What's your size?"

Hux answered in kind and crossed his arms as his mortal companion browsed clothing. Ren concentrated on his task, though his eyes were still half-lidded. Hux took a step back and wondered how he could go from destroying five planets to picking out clothes on some backwater planet in the span of a week.

* * *

Wearing the tunic felt wrong, but Hux did his best to bear it. It was too loose, too long, and far too comfortable.

Hux had never thought he'd feel odd wearing something that was soft to the touch and allowed his skin to breathe. Without the constricting layers of his uniform, and even more pressingly the low collar, he felt practically naked, even though he was wearing layers.

At least it was weather appropriate. The planet they had landed that morning on was warm and green, but very windy. The fabric didn't protect as well as his old uniform would have, but it provided enough warmth to counter the chilly breeze. Hux tugged on the lower half of his coat to keep it from flapping.

"You look like you're ready to crawl out of your skin," Ren commented as they walked down the market street. They were on their way to meet the contact with the supplies for their upcoming trip to the west of the city and it was bad enough Hux was tempted to look over his shoulder for anyone who would recognize him (he had destroyed five planets last week; how on earth was Ren so calm after such a brutal defeat and the undeniable reveal of his mortality?) without feeling exposed on top of it all. Ren paid this no heed and barreled on with an amused smile. "If you'd chosen your own clothes faster, you wouldn't be in this mess. Though, I still think what I picked out works well enough."

"The results would have been the same either way," Hux said. The eggshell-colored tunic fell to just below the knee, covering the black leggings, and the tips of it whipped against the top of his high boots (a rescue from his prior uniform). His ensemble had been completed with a long-sleeved, loose overcoat in a navy blue, and a thick, gold-colored cloth belt at the waist that reminded Hux of Ren's own attire. "I was going to be uncomfortable in civilian clothing regardless."

"At least you wear it well," Ren said.

Hux noted the compliment but did not comment on it. In some ways, that was more unnerving than the reveal of Ren's immortality: The ridiculous bouts of kindness he'd been prone to since they'd met again after the shuttle ride.

Ren really must have whacked his head good on Starkiller if he felt even the slightest hint of obligation or thanks for Hux doing nothing more than his job.

If the Supreme Leader hadn't ordered it, Hux would have left Ren to rot in the snow. Hux glanced at Ren from the corner of his eye, taking in the peaceful expression and the contentment as they walked side by side in the market. Hux twisted his hand into a fist; he really would have left Ren in the snow.

Surely, he would have.

* * *

When Ren had first told Hux that they were going to a Jedi temple in the mountains, he'd been concerned he wasn't dressed appropriately for the trip (and what an irony that would be after all that time they took picking out clothing to steal). But as they wandered up a well worn path surrounded by wildflowers, it seemed an easier trip than he'd been led to believe.

"This is a delightful walk, Ren," Hux said, plucking a flower from the path as they passed it. He twirled it between his fingers before he began to pull out the petals, trapping them in his other palm. He ground the leftovers together in his fingers into a dust before wiping off his gloves. "Are you sure we're going to the right place?"

"The Force is incredibly strong here," Ren answered. He looked over his shoulder, waving his hand at the sides of the path. "What do you think is keeping all of these flowers in bloom in the off season?"

Hux stumbled over a rock in the path and desperately missed the clean, straight hallways of his ship and beautiful Starkiller. He straightened the bottom of his tunic and kept from making a face when he realized that Ren was waiting for him to catch up.

"Wonderful, the Force can keep flowers alive," Hux said, even though part of his brain was telling him Ren was probably messing with him. The Force didn't actually work that way, did it? Not that Hux would know. He passed Ren on the walk, noting the steady incline as they neared the top of the hill. His boots crunched in the gravel. "If that's the sort of thing we'll be finding around here, I'm failing to see how that's going to help you with the Dark Side."

Ren had the nerve to chuckle under his breath. His eyes practically glittered in amusement; he clearly thought he knew something that Hux didn't.

It was true, but the bastard didn't have to rub it in with that damn knowing smile.

"We're not really here for the scenery," Ren said. He stayed a few paces behind Hux as they walked, his stroll leisurely. The wind whipped through his wavy hair, bouncing it around his head under the loose hood. "If my sources were correct, the temple should contain a few Holocrons that survived the Great Jedi Purge."

"So you're getting what?" Hux asked, pressing his lips together to gather his thoughts. "The instruction manuals for your future training?"

Ren shook his head. "Not really. The training will be to actually open the things. The information inside is guarded by a gatekeeper. As a someone who leans to the Dark Side of the Force, the guardians of Jedi Holocrons won't appreciate my attempts to open the things."

"So you have to break in," Hux said. "And once you've opened them?"

"I suppose we'll get to see what's inside," Ren said. "Considering they survived, I doubt they'll contain any important information. It'll likely be some form of journal, or techniques that are already commonly known by this point."

"I'm surprised this sort of thing wasn't already in your training regiments," Hux said. "It doesn't quite seem like something you'd need in your arsenal."

"It's a punishment exercise," Ren said, eyes downward. He looked halfway ashamed and Hux was too shocked that Ren had even admitted such a thing to take the time and relish his misery. Ren looked up, glaring as if he'd heard Hux's thoughts. Ren continued, "If I had to compare it to something, I'd call it busy work while my Master prepares more intensive training."

"It's probably for the best anyway," Hux said. He waved his hand behind him and shrugged. "Bacta or not, you still had your entire side ripped out of you a little over a week ago. There's no way you're back to one hundred percent."

"There's that, too."

Hux nodded and the two of them fell into a comfortable silence as they scaled the hill. Sweat beaded on the back of Hux's neck as the inclined steepened further and he found himself looking up, and up, and up, until he saw the tips of a building off in the distance above them.

"I suppose it was too much to ask for this walk to stay so pleasant," Hux murmured under his breath.

"That's what happens when you question the Force's directions," Ren said, far too pleased with himself as he passed ahead and scaled the hill with ease.

"Shut up, Ren," Hux said.

* * *

The temple was littered with corpses.

Hux delicately stepped over one body near the main path, noting the golden-brown and cream robes that covered the dead Jedi. Oval masks covered their faces, and their hoods hung and waved in the wind. Their outfits resembled Kylo's ensemble, honestly, but in a lighter color scheme. Menacing robes must be a Force thing in general.

He tugged on his own loose coat, feeling once again out of place in the longer tunic. To avoid the feeling, Hux distracted himself with questions. "I see no one cleaned house."

"It's hard to send someone to clean up when everyone's dead," Ren said, something off in his voice.

The Knight of Ren stared at the carnage, so focused it made Hux shiver. His eyes flicked to the side every so often, and Hux could only imagine what the man was remembering or reliving. He'd heard the rumors of how Ren came to Snoke's service. It wasn't anything worse than Hux had done in his lifetime (or in this past month, really), but all the same—he got the feeling Ren at least felt a tad remorseful about the whole thing.

Ren knelt and plucked a mask off one of the bodies, revealing the skull behind it. He turned it over in his hand, brushing the dust off the sides with his thumb. "And I can promise you, the person who killed them didn't give them a second thought."

"Fair enough," Hux said. He couldn't say he particularly would have bothered either. It was hardly First Order protocol to clean up dead bodies after an attack unless they were planning on using the facilities at a later date. "Are we going inside, or would you like to look around for a better mask to start a new collection."

Ren's flinched and Hux winced.

He probably shouldn't have brought up the fact Ren's belongings had gone down with Starkiller and the Finalizer. Hux hadn't gone to Ren's quarters often, but even he recognized the mask on the pedestal and just who that had belonged to.

Against all odds though, no anger came. Instead, Ren tossed the mask at Hux and continued up the steps to the main entrance. "Hold that, would you?"

"I'm an advisor, not your pack mule," Hux said, even as he knew he'd carry the damned thing anyway. It wasn't as if he had much else to do on this trip.

"Which is why I took your advice to start a new collection," Ren said with a cheeky grin as he skipped a step.

Hux threw the mask back at him and Ren caught it. He glanced at the temple and back at the mask before shrugging and clicking it into place over his own face. Ren followed by pulling his hood over his head, the ivory surface looked ghostly under all of the black.

"I never thought I'd miss your old mask," Hux said, near cursing when he realized it had been out loud.

Ren, in an odd moment of camaraderie, didn't comment on the slip.

* * *

The temple was dust free and full of light. Hux had to hold a hand up in some portions to shade his eyes from the reflections of the shined surfaces. It was like walking into a room of mirrors and absurdly gaudy for a group of people who tried to live like poor monks.

Ren tugged on Hux's sleeve, and he did his best not to flinch when his eyes met that Ivory mask. Ren pulled up on the end of his own cape, where it met the edge of his "Your coat has a hood. It'll help block some of the light."

"Oh, so it does," Hux said. He tugged it over his head, and while it didn't block out all of the light, it did help cut down on the amount of sources offending his eyes. "My greatcoat didn't have one, so it slipped my mind."

Ren hummed, but kept his head tilted toward the main entranceway. His guard was up, shoulders back and hand near the hilt of his lightsaber. Hux took that as his own cue, and did his best to pay attention to his surroundings.

"The holocrons should be in a vault near the back storage room," Ren said. He walked across the mirrored floor with purpose, guided by the Force perhaps if his hurried steps were any indication. Hux picked up his own pace to follow, hardly wanting to be left alone in the temple foyer. Ren turned down a hallway, lifting his hand to move a few more dead bodies out of the way with the Force instead of stepping around them. "There shouldn't be any security we'll need to worry about."

"How do we even know they're still there?" Hux asked, feeling useless in all of this. He was a tag along at best and asking all of the questions. Hardly an advisor, and certainly not the General he once was. He half wondered why Ren even brought Hux along for this in the first place. Hux shook his head and returned to the task, looking over the empty shelves and clean hallways. "Everything's so barren, there's no way no one else hasn't been in here to raid this place. I can see why people would leave the bodies alone, superstition and fear and all that, but surely they'd steal the artifacts?"

"You're not wrong," Ren said. He nodded toward the bodies, the Jedi mask still unsettling, and shrugged. "All of these guards have been stripped of their weapons, even though the thieves left the armor. The decorations and books that were on these shelves are also gone."

Hux absently kicked one of the dead guards. "So again, why do you think the holocrons are still here?"

"You have to have the Force to open the vault," Ren said. He turned down another hallway and pushed open a door at the end. Hux thanked the stars when the room proved to be normal, not a mirrored surface in sight. He dropped his hood and was never so grateful for dark grey walls. Ren paused in the center of the room for five full seconds before swiftly turning to the door on the left. "Not many who can do that any more, and the ones who first destroyed this place didn't care about these ones."

"Right," Hux said.

They continued traveling through various rooms and halls (just how big was this temple?) before they stopped at a small out cove that overlooked a cliff on the backside of the Temple. At the end of the balcony was a door with no locks, controls, or any other form of handle.

"I take it this is the vault?" Hux said, kicking the door with his boot.

"Correct," Ren said. He held his hand up and flicked his hand to the side with a downright dramatic flourish, taking the door open with it. He bowed slightly and held his hand out as indication that Hux could enter first. "Easy to open if you know how."

"It'd be more impressive if I hadn't seen you do bigger things a hundred times before," Hux said.

Ren laughed in response, and Hux couldn't help but think it would have been better if that blasted mask wasn't in the way.

* * *

There were more holocrons than Ren had been expecting. There were six in total, and at least two Hux could open even without the Force. They had been data only and mostly contained system logs and financial information for the temple and where donation money was going.

"The Jedi really were monks weren't they if this is the sort of information that's easily accessible," Hux had said, flicking through a few quarterly reports. He felt comfortable reading the charts and numbers; they were familiar. Hux closed the files when his heart ached for Starkiller's invoices; he honestly never thought he'd miss seeing those things. Hux closed the the entire holocron and shoved it in his pocket. "The transparency of their spending habits is downright saintly."

Ren snorted and tugged over the other four Holocrons from their place on the shelf.

Three of them were Jedi encoded, each with a guardian that told Ren he was denied access. It didn't phase him, and he stuffed the small shapes in a bag to be dissected when they returned to their rooms at the hotel. It was the fourth one though, that caused all the trouble: A Sith Holocron.

Hux had been amused that such a thing would be in a Jedi Temple at all, but Ren didn't seem surprised it was there (Hux assumed; it was getting hard to tell with that mask in the way).

Ren picked up the cube and took it back out on the balcony. He took a seat at one of the outdoor tables that was set up for guests and placed the cube on the surface. Hux followed with his arms crossed, standing near the balcony edge.

"Are you going to open it now?" Hux asked. "Didn't we need to start heading back soon to make it before dinner?"

"This one shouldn't take long to open," Ren said. He sounded amused and turned device. The hexagonal prism was dark purple in color, and had soft glowing lights around its edges. "I'm curious what it is if the Sith who laid waste to this temple left it behind."

Hux wouldn't admit it out loud, but he found himself curious himself.

"Now let's see," Ren said. He touched the side and the small device opened with a hiss as it rose to float in the air. Hux watched the interlocking pieces separate, showing off the glowing internals. Ren chuckled and sat back in his seat. "There we are."

The gatekeeper's voice came from the inside as a small light. It was low and amused, the tone of it setting Hux's teeth on edge. "It's been a while since a Jedi attempted to open me, but you will find nothing here for you."

Ren stilled, before tilting his head. He reached up and tugged off the mask, freeing his face and hair once more. Hux did his best to hide how relieved he was to see that thing be set on the table. Ren smiled, "I am neither Jedi nor Sith, but I assure, I'm much closer to Sith. Your information is of interest to me."

"I will concede you're close enough to the dark to at least get to see me," the small figure said, the mocking tone downright scathing. It lightened, as if it was keeping some big secret. "But there's far too much light in you to share what I have with you."

"You are mistaken," Ren said. Hux felt the hairs on his arms raise under his sleeves. There was an electricity in the air. Ren flicked the edge of the cube, sending a piece to spin. "I am strong in the Dark Side."

"Keep telling yourself that," the gatekeeper said. The device flicked off, the floating pieces snapping back together in a rush before it fell back to the table. It tapped twice, rolling on its side.

An hour of stony silence later, and Hux would have given anything for Ren to have thrown a tantrum and broken the table in two with his lightsaber instead of the deathly calm that overtook the Knight instead.

* * *

The Jedi mask fell on its side as Ren dumped it on the side table in their shared hotel room. He used the Force to catch it before it could roll off the edge, and he moved it more toward the center.

It was the most life Ren had shown since he'd walked off the balcony and made his way through the temple, down the hill and back to the inn without another word. He didn't so much as acknowledge Hux, the trail or even their men stationed to guard the inn and their shuttle. Ren had shut himself into his own little world, and Hux was half impressed the man remembered to grab the blasted mask.

Because he certainly left the holocron where it was on the table.

Hux half wondered if Ren knew that he picked it up and stuffed it in his inner coat pocket for safe keeping.

"I know you have it," Ren said, and Hux jumped.

"What?" Hux glared across the room.

"The Sith holocron. It's in your coat pocket." Ren sat on his bed. Hux narrowed his eyes further. Had Ren read his mind? But that was impossible. Hux had seen Ren interrogate people before. The process was painful. Hux would have noticed—Ren spoke up again, "It only hurts if I want it to, because if I'm doing it right, you won't notice I was in your head at all."

"How often do you read my mind?" Hux asked, all thoughts of holocrons thrown out the window. Anger overwhelmed his initial relief that Ren was talking again. Hux slammed his hand on the side table, rattling the Jedi mask. "Tell me."

"Not as often as you're thinking," Ren said. He fell back on the bed and covered his eyes. "Only when I need something."

"And what did you need just now that required intruding?" Hux asked, fingers digging into the wood. Ren didn't answer; Hux kicked the bed. "Speak up."

"Gauging how lost in thought you were, and how startled you'd be if I started talking again," Ren answered, dropping his other arm to halt Hux's leg with the Force when he moved to hit the bed again.

Hux snorted and relaxed fully when Ren's Force grip released his limb. "Why don't I believe you?"

"You're paranoid and distrustful," Ren said. He kept his eyes covered. "Didn't even need to read your thoughts for that one."

"Stop sulking," Hux said. He tugged the Sith holocron out of his pocket and slammed it on the table next to that creepy mask. "I'm getting dinner."

Ren waved in response, and Hux was absolutely not bringing that man anything back.

* * *

Ren wasn't talking again. The man was cross legged on the floor, and facing the wall, with the same stone-like expression that had occurred when the Sith holocron had denied him entry.

Hux entered the room, belly sated and contented from his hour-long dinner. He was far too tired to wonder what had set Ren off this time with nothing in the room but a mask and their belongings. The answer was floating in the center of the room, in the form of a bright, triangular blue shape.

The Jedi gatekeeper hologram floating over the spinning device turned to face Hux as he entered the room, smiling softly.

"You opened one of the Jedi holocrons?" Hux asked, staring at the tiny hologram. It reminded him of the older, handheld communication devices.

"He did indeed, and quite easily at that," the gatekeeper said. He leaned over, whispering. Hux crept closer, even if he felt ridiculous doing it. "I believe that's what's causing him such distress."

"I see," Hux said.

The gatekeeper nodded. "Your friend is trying very hard to embrace the Dark, when it's obvious the Light suits him better. It's a shame he's so conflicted."

"Shut up," Ren said, dropping his head down. He covered his ears with his hands and breathed heavily. "There is no Light left in me. I rid myself of it when I killed my father and fully embraced the call of the Dark."

"That's not really how it works, you know," the gatekeeper said. He sounded tired and sad, and Hux wondered just what information this little device held to have advice for Ren's rather unique situation. The gatekeeper shook his head, staring at Ren's back. "You can deny it all you want, and dabble in the Dark as you please, but there's nothing that will entirely sever your connection with the Light."

"Be quiet," Ren said, head dropping lower and fingers trembling as they caught in his hair. "You're wrong."

"You're clearly not ready yet to hear my teachings, able to open the holocron or not, but here's a free bit of advice that applies to both the Dark and the Light: We do not control the Force. We say that we do, and it's true that we appear to use it at our will and command, but in truth this is only because the Force allows it. Our control is entirely at the mercy of the Force, whether we like it or not, and it is the Force that decides what alignment best suits us," the gatekeeper said. "The Force chose you for the Light, and you are stuck with it."

"Silence!" Ren shouted, slamming his hand back. He threw the device into the wall with a sickening crack in the plaster.

It hit the ground with a thud, sparking at the edges. Against all odds, the gatekeeper's hologram flickered back to life over it. He smiled warmly and shook his head. "It'll take time, but when the truth sinks in, I'll be more than happy to share some wisdom with you. Until then, take care young Knight of Ren."

The holocron closed, and the room was quiet.

Five minutes of Ren's heavy breathing later, Hux regained control of himself and shook off the shock of the Knight's outburst. He was still too tired to deal with all of this nonsense. Hux picked up the holocron and set it on the side table. He slipped off his coat, belt and sat on the edge of his bed to tug off his boots. During the process of changing into his nightclothes, Ren remained in his place on the floor. Body shaking and breaths labored.

"Go to sleep, Ren," Hux said, giving the only advice he could think of at the late hour. He slipped under the covers of his own bed, turned out the overhead light and bathing the room in darkness.

* * *

Hux hadn't expected Ren to follow his advice last night. When he woke and slipped from his covers, Hux was absolutely sure he'd see Ren passed out on the floor, or still awake and brooding right where he left him when sleep graced Hux.

Instead, Ren had made it to his own bed and even changed out of his heavy robes. His bare chest was open to the air, with the covers bunched at his waist. Hux walked to the edge of the bed, eyes taking in the sight of pure muscle and ugly scars. The lightsaber wound was the most prominent on his shoulder, snaking its way through the flesh until it came up the side of Ren's face.

Hux rubbed his fingers together, remembering the texture of it from the shuttle ride as he dug his fingers into the wound. At the time, he'd hoped maybe enough irritation and pain would wake the idiot up. It hadn't worked, but all the same, Hux remembered the feel of the too-hot skin.

He leaned over Ren, hand reached out toward the man's face. The wound had been warm from the freshness of the injury, but would it still be overheated now after so much time had passed?

Ren's hand closed around Hux's wrist in a fierce grip just before he could make contact. The larger man's eyes opened, and he turned on his side, twisting Hux's arm. "What are you doing, Hux?"

"I was going to wake you up for breakfast," Hux said, blatantly lying.

"It's just a scar," Ren said. He smiled and let go of Hux's hand before burying his face into the pillow. "I'll save you the trouble: It's cold."

"Oh," Hux said. He sat on the edge of the bed and crossed his ankles.

Ren's breathing evened, and he looked ready to fall back asleep, whatever threat he might have suspected Hux capable of put behind him. Ren's hair fell over his eyes as he turned, and revealed more of the jagged scar on his jaw.

Hux pressed his fingers into the thickest part of it, and trailed them down the shoulder. Ren opened an eye and stared at him, eyes curious.

"I didn't believe you," Hux said. He got off the bed and returned to his side of the room. He tugged his tunic back out and yanked his nightshirt over his head to change. "You were right, though. It was cold."

Ren's gaze on Hux's back however, that was far too warm.


	3. Chapter 3

_And we're back to Kylo. I wasn't really planning for this to be redemption focused (and it still might not be) but then chapter two happened and here we are. Still not sure if Kylo will actually turn from the First Order (his Advisor is HUX, people), but there's gonna' be some second thoughts and reluctance coming up. We'll see. Haven't really decided._

 _I won't lie to you, though:Total-Monster-With-A-Soft-Spot-For-This-ONE-Exception!Hux x I'm-Awful-At-Being-A-Bad-Guy-Because-Guilt-And-Inner-Conflict!Kylo Ren is kinda my thing, so it's gonna' show up (on that note, if you had fic suggestions that fit that bill, feel free to send them my way)._

* * *

 **Chapter 3**

They couldn't return to Snoke and receive his next assignment until Kylo opened all of the Holocrons, and the two data-only ones didn't count.

Three of them sat taunting Kylo on the desk as he sat in the hotel room alone. Hux had excused himself to look around the main market to stretch his legs, though the real reason had more to do with the fact he was done putting up with Kylo's "sulking" as his mind put it. As he was already being teased by the holocrons, he didn't particularly need Hux doing it, too.

Kylo rubbed his face.

All of the Jedi holocrons had originally rejected him when he had tried to open them first time, and Kylo had taken that as a good sign. But then on his second try, the first had opened completely. The little holocron gatekeeper had said he "took a second look" since Kylo "made a second attempt" and found him worthy.

"You shouldn't hide your Light so much," the gatekeeper had said. "Especially when you're trying to talk to one of us."

The Light. The Light. The Light.

They were all saying it. That blasted old man on Jakku had said it too, just before Kylo killed him. Kylo originally dismissed him. Lor San Tekka was just trying to rile Kylo up; it's not like a non-sensitive could really tell that sort of thing. But Kylo would not deny that the words worked. Kylo always felt the call of the Light when it was most inconvenient.

"I snuffed it out," Kylo said to himself in the quiet room. He dragged his hands through his hair, staring at the holocrons. "I killed that part of me.

"You should reject me," Kylo said, tapping one of the Jedi holocrons. It floated in the air, and he sucked in a breath. "Now let me break you open."

In the end, he didn't need to.

They too opened willingly after a few half-hearted attempts to access their data. Kylo told himself it was because of his strength in the Force, but he knew they followed the same logic as the other gatekeeper.

The Light hadn't left Kylo; he'd killed his father for nothing.

In truth, Kylo had sort of known that the entire time, as early as when he first struck his father down. He hadn't felt stronger when his father fell to the depths of the oscillator. There had been no revelation, no awakening of darkness. Kylo was left with only the sudden awareness that he could still feel affection from his father in his dying breaths, and deep sadness. No hate, no accusations. Just a dying man full of regrets and wretchedly unconditional love.

Still though, that should have been the last line for Kylo Ren. How does one go back to the Light after that? No matter how he felt, surely Kylo had snuffed the last bit of Light in him out at that moment. There was no returning after that. Kylo had made his choice.

But apparently the Force had other plans, if these blasted holocrons had anything to say about it, since they kept repeating over and over again how unfit for the Dark he was.

Kylo had no idea how he would be able to tell such things to the Supreme Leader, Master Snoke. He would likely be disappointed in his apprentice.

Snoke may even give up on him.

Kylo took in a heavy breath and wrote down the most important information the holocrons had to share on a datapad, speaking with their gatekeepers shortly and refusing any small talk outside of the required question and answer. If he had the information, he could prove to Snoke he opened them and maybe he'd get lucky and his Master wouldn't care how it happened.

It was a punishment mission anyway; Snoke genuinely might not even care if he had bigger plans for Kylo's training in the future.

* * *

"I see you've been busy," Hux said, picking up the datapad from the desk. He flicked through the pages, eyes scanning everything Kylo had written. "That's good to see."

"I'm concentrating," Kylo said, hands around the floating Sith Holocron. Hux had returned a few moments ago, a small bag in hand. He'd stared at Kylo without comment up until he caught sight of the datapad. Kylo had hoped he would have taken the hint and stayed quiet until he was finished. "I need to get this last one open before we can return to Snoke."

"Then I'll leave you be," Hux said. He set his bag on the table nearest his bed and sat on the cushions. Digging out his own datapad, Hux proceeded to ignore Kylo.

It was for the best; Kylo was having enough trouble without splitting his focus to what Hux was doing.

The Sith holocron refused to budge. No matter how Kylo tugged and pulled and twisted its insides, the little thing would not give in. The worst of it all, Kylo had the sneaking suspicion that it had less to do with Kylo's orientation in the Force, and more with the gatekeeper of the Sith holocron being a stubborn bastard.

Kylo attempted to force it open for another hour before he dropped the thing and got up from the floor. He collapsed on the bed and breathed in and out, counting. He'd rest for a bit, and then get back to it. He would open the Holocron. He'd get the information. And he'd return to Snoke and continue his training.

Things would be fine.

"We could always throw that one out the window and only present our Supreme Leader with the five others," Hux said, flicking his finger against the datapad screen. "Just a thought."

"You're suggesting we lie to the Supreme Leader?" Kylo asked, turning his head to the side.

"I'm saying that sometimes a lie of omission isn't always a bad thing," Hux said. He put his datapad down and laced his fingers together as he pulled a knee up. "He wasn't expecting there to be a Sith Holocron was he? So don't tell him about it."

"I appreciate the attempt to help, Hux," Kylo said. He had to check twice, but the comment had been given with the sincere intention of aiding Kylo instead of the attempt to speed things up he had expected. It was oddly comforting to know Hux was concerned. Kylo should return the favor and save Hux the trouble later when Snoke found out about it. "But you're underestimating the Supreme Leader. He most likely already knows about the Sith holocron, and if he doesn't, he will."

"And why would you assume that?" Hux asked, genuinely curious.

"Because he knows everything," Kylo said, leaving off the "about me" that should have been tacked on. He licked the side of his lip and tugged on a loose strand of hair. "We're connected."

Hux scrunched his nose. "Connected?"

Kylo tapped his temple. "He's in my head."

"All the time?" Hux gaped, outright dropping his jaw. Kylo felt the wave of his discomfort, even without using the Force.

"Ever since I was a child," Kylo said, feeling defensive. Hux kept staring at him like it was something horrible. But he didn't understand. No one ever did. Kylo sighed. "It's a good thing."

"If-if you say so," Hux said. He frowned and after a second looked at Kylo with suspicion. "So he hears all of your conversations with other people? All of the ones we've had?"

"Sometimes," Kylo said. He leaned his head in his hand and pursed his lips. "It's not like he pays attention one hundred percent of the time, you know. He could look anything up later if he wanted since my mind is open to him, but I'm hardly worth watching around the clock. He checks up at random, but most of the time we're just loosely connected."

"I see," Hux said.

The red head fell quiet and stared at his datapad, clearly still unnerved by this new revelation.

Kylo sighed and turned his head toward the side table. He needed to change the topic, and the mysterious bag on the table was the perfect ticket. "What'd you buy?"

Hux looked up again and turned to the desk. He pulled over the small bag and opened it up. He dumped a few of the contents into his hand and held it out toward Kylo. He spotted small, multi-colored candies sitting in the pale palm. "I figured if I was going to be on planet, I might as well indulge in a few niceties not allowed in the military lifestyle."

"You have a sweet tooth, and were always upset that the First Order didn't quite approve of candy or cake as a part of a balanced diet," Kylo said, filling in the gaps. Hux frowned at him and popped a piece of candy in his mouth. Kylo stole a piece across the room using the Force and ate it himself. It was pure sugar formed into a marble piece; like smooth rock candy. "They're good."

"Then go buy your own," Hux said. He ate one more piece and dropped the rest back into his bag. He rolled the top down, and Kylo snuck a peak at his thoughts out of curiosity's sake. Hux was chiding himself for eating two pieces already, when he had planned to make the candies last as long as possible. It's why he bought the pure sugar ones; they didn't go bad. Hux slammed the bag on the table. "I've counted them, so don't you think I won't know if you steal any."

"Don't worry, I'll be sure to use a mind trick and make you forget if that becomes an issue," Kylo replied, falling back into his pillow.

He heard Hux snort before he quickly relocated the bag of candy under his pillow.

* * *

Three days later, and Hux wasn't the only one at his wits end over the Sith holocron. It was still refusing to open and Kylo was about at the point where he wanted to ask the Jedi holocrons for tips on breaking into it.

"Is this normal?" Hux asked, hands on his hips as he hovered near Kylo. He waved his hand a the floating holocron, tired and agitated. "I mean, I know you've got that Light thing going on, but I'd think a man who slaughtered an entire school of Jedi children and helped me destroy five planets should have enough Dark Side credit to open a blasted textbook of evil."

"Textbook of evil?" Kylo asked, turning away from the holocron.

"Don't give me that look. I've been locked in a room with you, that wretched little box, and nothing but a civilian town I can't spend an extended amount of time for fear of being recognized for five days with nothing to do." Hux turned on his heel and paced, throwing his hands up. "Forgive me if I'm running out of things to call your little holocrons."

"At this point, I think it has less to do with whether or not I am of the Dark or the Light, and more to do with the gatekeeper keeping me out from sheer spite," Kylo said. He'd thought as much earlier, but it was becoming more and more clear that was the case. Because Hux had a point. Even the Jedi holocrons overlooked a bit of Kylo's evil to open up. Kylo turned back to the holocron. "At this point, it's all brute force."

"Isn't that what you're best at?" Hux asked. It was voiced as an insult, but Kylo knew that Hux truly believed brute force was one of Kylo's strengths. He'd always had an appreciation for Kylo's more violent traits in battle. Hux crossed his arms, fumbling a moment with the loose sleeves. "You can't possible tell me that the little electronic gatekeeper is stronger than you."

"I'm not exceptionally good at delicate tasks," Kylo said, admitting it painfully. "If I put too much strength into this, I'll destroy the holocron. Finding the balance between overpowering the gatekeeper without exploding the box is more difficult than you'd expect."

"This gatekeeper is wasting our time," Hux said. He looked at the floating figure and flicked it in the side with his finger. "You in there. Stop being a pest so we can go back home and get on with our lives."

"I don't think that's how this works, Hux." Kylo continued to press with the Force on the figure. He didn't even know if the gatekeeper would listen to someone who was non-sensitive.

"Well you've tried everything else, so why not?" Hux said, at the clear end of his patience. He leaned down toward the holocron and hissed at it. "We successfully designed, built and fired a weapon capable of destroying five planets. It worked, by the way. If you can list one thing more powerful than that that you yourself have accomplished in the name of the Dark Side, then maybe you'll have a real excuse to hide whatever knowledge it is you have from us."

To Kylo's shock, the gatekeeper answered. The Sith holocron glowed as it spoke. "That might be true, but the one trying to open me not only did not want to participate, but he never wanted to fire it. So your argument is null and void."

Hux turned his head toward Kylo, nearly whipping it to the side. Starkiller was Hux's idea, and pet project, but he really had no right to sound so betrayed by this revelation. "What's he talking about?"

"I always felt your weapon was excessive and a vast waste of resources," Kylo said, carefully and slowly. Hux continued to glare, personally offended that someone thought his plan was poor. Kylo flexed his fingers. "The Supreme Leader disagreed and approved your project anyway."

"This is the first I've heard of any disagreements with it," Hux said.

"As I said, I was vetoed early and knew better than to question our Supreme Leader so what point would there have been to give you a hard time about it?" Kylo's fingers twitched as he continued to assault the Sith holocron with a fresh wave of anger. Maybe if he redirected it all into the holocron, he could open the thing and be done with all of this. "I don't know why you're upset."

"I'm shocked you still hold some sort of sympathy for that wretched New Republic," Hux said, suspicious. "What could possibly be worth saving them?"

"You didn't have to feel it," Kylo said, under his breath.

"Excuse me?"

"You didn't have to feel it!" Kylo shouted, dropping the holocron. His shout carried a wave of power with it, rattling the bed frame and side tables.

Kylo could feel the blood pumping in his veins harder as his heart beat picked up. felt the nausea he experienced after the weapon's beam connected with its target bubble up, threatening to drag the rest of the memories back with it. Kylo growled, and the objects in the room rattled with his inner turmoil. Hux took a step back, eyes darting toward the moving objects. Kylo cursed under his breath. He hurried to his feet and headed to the door.

"Where are you going?" Hux asked.

"Out," Kylo said. He opened the door and slammed it behind him, working hard to control his breath.

* * *

Kylo walked back to the Jedi temple. He didn't want to deal with the people of the town, and it was secluded enough that no one would stumble upon him up there.

He needed time to sort through everything; to suppress the memories of the fall of the Hosnian System once again and lock them away where they couldn't get out. Kylo had lived through that the first time, followed by nightmares for a few days. There was no need for them to return.

The temple was quiet, and the bodies around it remained quiet. Kylo sat on a ledge on the outside the building near an old flower box, wanting the quiet but not quite ready to go back inside yet. Despite the perfect location, part of his gut stirred at the idea he was using a Jedi settlement as a source of comfort and solitude.

He looked at one of the old temple guards, their armor covered in dirt, though still in good shape. Kylo kicked the body over, watching as the helmeted head flopped to the side. It snapped, the skeleton brittle and the head rolled down the hill. He huffed and raised his hand, catching it with the Force before it could roll too far away. Kylo dragged it back over to himself and held the head in his lap, running his thumb over the edge of the mask.

Kylo rather missed his mask. All of the Knights of Ren wore one, and it was meant for intimidate as well as concealment. As it turned out, Kylo was hardly the only Knight with an expressive face, so it was practical for them all to hide it away. It was easier to scare people when they couldn't see what you were thinking written all over your face.

Hiding your emotions with a straight face was a talent Kylo never mastered, and he often wondered how Hux managed it. Getting his face to crack was quite a feat, and Kylo relished every time he got an exaggerated expression out of Hux.

Save for this last time.

"How dare he feel betrayed I didn't like his plan?" Kylo asked the mask in his hand. "We disagree about plans and tactics all the time and he was always nothing more than irritated at being challenged. Why should this time be so different?"

The mask, of course, did not answer.

Kylo leaned forward, tapping his forehead against the mask. Starkiller had been a mistake. The First Order was meant to bring true peace and well, order, to the galaxies. The sheer loss of life that resulted from the firing of that weapon was unnecessarily brutal. Even if Kylo still felt a tiny bit of awe that Hux had even been capable of thinking that thing up and firing it, it still didn't change the bigger picture: You couldn't control and rule something that was destroyed. Surely his Master knew that? So why did he approve Hux's plan so readily? Did he not too feel all of that death when the planets were lost?

"Starkiller was a mistake," Kylo said, aloud this time. He pressed his forehead against the temple guard's mask hard enough that it was sure to leave a mark. It tore at the edges of his scar. "Starkiller was a mistake."

He waited for Snoke's disapproving voice in his head. Anything to show that he had been listening and needed to discipline Kylo for the borderline traitorous thoughts. The Supreme Leader had approved Starkiller. It's loss was because of Kylo and Hux's mistakes, not anything Snoke did. Snoke was never wrong. So to say Starkiller was a mistake was to say Snoke had been wrong. Kylo would surely be punished.

But nothing came.

As if Snoke wasn't even bothering to listen.

Kylo tugged the mask to his chest and curled up on his side on the building ledge. He closed his eyes and breathed out. He needed to meditate.

* * *

"Ren, wake up."

Kylo jerked with the hand shaking his shoulder. He opened his eyes, spotting Hux squatting next to the building ledge. He had his jacket tugged around him, and his breath was visible. Kylo shivered a bit at the temperature drop, stretching his legs out, but not sitting up.

"Only you would fall asleep outside when you were two feet from a door of a perfectly usable building," Hux muttered.

"Why are you here?" Kylo asked.

Hux glared as if the answer should be obvious, shifting his arms under his coat sleeves. The tunic at his neck wrinkled as he moved. "You didn't come back."

"And you were what? Worried about me?" Kylo asked, sitting up. The helmet that had fallen into his lap while he slept tumbled to the ground, knocking a piece of skull out of it and onto the ground.

"Worried about the mission, maybe," Hux said, frowning. He looked unsure about something, and for once, Kylo used enough tact to avoid reading Hux's mind. This one particular thought seemed particularly private. Hux shook his head and stood, wiping his hands on the sides of his jacket. "Missing for the night is one thing, but you were gone all night and all day. When you didn't show up at dinner, I had to make sure you didn't go get yourself into trouble. I can't exactly go back to Snoke without you, now can I?"

"I've been gone for nearly two days?" Kylo asked. He had slept far longer than he had thought. Kylo couldn't remember the last time he'd slept that deeply and for that long. Perhaps it was something about the Force in this area near the temple. Hux continued to watch him, shifting ever so slightly. Kylo sat back against the wall. "How did you know where I was?"

"You weren't in the market or on the shuttle, Ren," Hux said. He sat next to Kylo on the ledge and crossed one leg over the other. "There was really only one other place you could be, though I suppose I should be thankful I didn't have to wander around the temple looking for some odd room you might have sequestered yourself into."

"If it makes you feel better, I had intended on coming back by dinner," Kylo said. He closed his eyes and focused on the motions below Hux's surface. The ones he wasn't showing. Slight worry. Embarrassment. Concern. They were still so odd to see aimed in Kylo's direction, but he found he rather liked it all the same. Kylo breathed evenly. "It was not my intention to make you think I wasn't coming back at all, but it seems trying to break into the holocron has left me more tired than I originally thought."

"You must have been if you slept for a solid day and a half," Hux said. He narrowed his eyes in Kylo's direction and that tiny wave of worry hummed to life again. Kylo felt drawn to it like a drowning man clings to a float. Hux crossed his arms. "Next time you feel the need to take a secluded nap, try the shuttle cargo bay. It's less of a walk."

"Is that official advice?" Kylo asked.

"Yes," Hux said. He turned his head, sighing. He adjusted the sleeves of his jacket and blew out another chilly breath. "We should probably stay in the temple over night. It's already too cold to be walking down the hill."

"You walked up it in the cold just fine," Kylo said. "It won't be much warmer inside, you know. There's nothing powering the building."

"Yes, but I'm sure there's a bedroom in there somewhere with a mattress and blankets, even if it is dusty," Hux said. He stood and turned toward the door of the temple. "Sparing that, there's plenty of dead soldiers around who I'm sure won't mind if we borrow their capes. I'm too tired to walk all the way back down the hill, so deal with it."

"I could carry you," Kylo offered. "If you wanted to take a nap while I walked us both back to the hotel."

"No," Hux said, leaving it at that. He disappeared into the temple and Kylo snorted, following him inside.

* * *

Despite having slept for a full day before, Kylo had no trouble falling asleep again when they found an old bedroom. The room was near the interior of the building, sheltered from the cool outside and was almost warm. Hux found a few spare blankets in a locked closet (he had Kylo open the thing with the Force) and buried himself under them.

It looked like Hux hadn't slept at all while Kylo was gone. The man was exhausted if how fast he fell asleep was any indication. He didn't so much as budge when Kylo took up a space on the other half of the bed. Kylo told himself they were sharing was because he was too tired to put the effort into looking for another room when there was that much space.

If his back was close enough to Hux to feel the man's body heat, well, that was another matter entirely that Kylo put to the back of his mind as he let himself fall asleep.

Some time later, Kylo woke before Hux, and wondered what the time was. With no windows there was no way to know if it was light or dark outside; if he'd slept for a couple hours or the entire night through. He supposed it must be something in between if Hux was still asleep.

Hux seemed like a man with a precise internal clock.

Kylo rolled on his side, pillowing his head in the crook of his elbow. Hux was facing him, breathing softly and still deep in sleep. His eyelids flickered as he dreamed, and his hair fell in his face. Kylo shifted it aside, back behind Hux's ears where it belonged.

It was sort of nice to wake up next to someone else. It made the room feel warmer.

Kylo sat up and shoved his feet over the edge of the mattress and onto the floor. He walked to the door and made his way down the hallway until he found the balcony in the back where the holocrons had been kept. The sun was just rising in the distance, and it was probably best to be heading back to town.

Hux was easy enough to wake when Kylo returned. A nudge to the shoulder was enough to snap the man to consciousness. "It's sunrise."

"Then we should be going," Hux said. He pushed the blankets aside and reached for his folded coat on the side table. His boots followed and the man straightened his hair with his fingers before getting up. He studied the bed for a moment before snatching up the spare blankets and folding them. As if he felt Kylo watching him, Hux snapped, "What?"

"I didn't say anything," Kylo said, abusing the Force for a mere moment to pick up on Hux's logic for stealing the blanket. Who knew a man who adored space and a frozen planet could get so cold at night? "It's not like anyone here is going to care if you steal a few blankets."

"They're well made and practical," Hux said, holding them under his arms. "It'd be a shame to let them rot in a dead temple."

"You don't need to justify yourself to me," Kylo said again, unable to help the smile in response at Hux's glaring. "Let's go."

"Let's."

The two left the building side by side, at an easy pace. The sunlight fell over their shoulders as they reached the flower fields, warming their shoulders. Hux carried his blankets without complaint, even though the bulk of them dwarfed his thin frame. Kylo offered to carry one, but was rebuked for his efforts.

Kylo studied Hux, proud and arrogant as ever even now. He hummed, "You know? I think you and I have spent more time in each other's company this past month than we did the entirety of the five years we'd worked together as co-commanders."

"We had very little reason to interact on the Finalizer and Starkiller outside of updates and mission briefings," Hux said. He squeezed his blankets tighter, glaring steadily ahead. "And now I'm your personal adviser. It only makes sense we'd be seeing more of each other."

"I never noticed how easily you get defensive," Kylo said. He chuckled and plucked a flower from the side of the road. He twisted the stem in his fingers, admiring the lovely bloom. "I was merely making an observation, not implying it was a bad thing."

Hux didn't reply, but his pace down the hill picked up. Kylo followed, enjoying the few moments of quiet as they walked together.

They both made it back to the hotel in good time, and Hux dumped his armful of blankets on the bed. He took one aside and shoved it in their suit case, and left the other for use that night.

"I'm taking a shower," Hux said, looking over his shoulder. "Then we'll get lunch."

"Sounds good," Kylo said, ignoring the way both sentences had been given like orders. Hux always reverted to "General" mode when he was tired.

Hux left for the refresher with a handful of clean clothes and the door closed loudly, but not quite enough to be a slam. In the meantime, Kylo looked around the hotel room.

The Sith holocron had been placed back with the other five on the table, likely put there by Hux at some point during Kylo's disappearance. Not ready to deal with it again, Kylo shoved it behind the two data-only holocrons and sat on the edge of his bed. He pulled over his datapad to check the date and time, and Hux had been correct—he'd been gone for nearly two days.

He observed the rest of the living space, and noticed everything was more or less as he'd left it, implying Hux hadn't done much else but look for Kylo during his absence. However, he did notice Hux's bag of candy was open on the bedside table. Kylo took to his feet and walked over, tipping the bag to the side lightly with a single finger. He saw three lonely candies in the bottom of what was once a full bag.

A bag of candy Hux had been meaning to make last for a month.

Kylo shook his head and turned the bag over, dumping the last of the candy into his palm. He popped them into his mouth and crumpled the bag to toss it into the trash. Kylo wrote a quick note saying he'd be back soon and left it on the table, before leaving the room and heading toward the market.

* * *

"What's this?" Hux asked, clutching the rather large bag Kylo had thrown at him when he came back. "And where were you? Didn't you just get wandering off out of your system?"

"I went into town," Kylo said. He tugged out a spare set of clothes for himself, intent on getting into the refresher himself before they ate lunch. "Try not to eat all of those at once."

Hux stared before tugging open the top of the package, and stared at the contents. Kylo had arranged four separate bags full of candy into the pack, with a few extra confections on the top of the pile for more immediate use. Kylo had a few of those tucked away in a bag of his own that he'd left on the bed.

Hux wasn't the only one who enjoyed the occasional sweet.

"What is this?" Hux asked, fingers digging into the side of the bag. His face twisted into a rare moment of emotion, and Kylo's heart skipped a beat. Hux hissed, "Are you mocking me, Ren?"

Kylo wasn't sure if he should feel pity or not when he checked Hux's mind and found the man honestly believed Kylo was making fun of him. He shook his head. "No, it's called a gift. People do that when they're grateful for things or actions."

"Not people like us," Hux said, voice soft. There was a hint of something else there, but Kylo wasn't sure if it was the time to be prying for it. Hux repeated. "I have done nothing worthy of thanks."

Hux had, from considering Kylo valuable enough to worry about to going out and finding him, but Kylo wasn't going to argue with Hux about that now. He was still far too tired and drained from everything else.

"Then call it compensation for the ones I stole when you weren't looking," Kylo said, shrugging. He crossed the room toward the refresher door. He stared Hux down and leaned his head to the side. "It's candy, Hux. Keep it or throw it out. I don't particularly care."

When Kylo returned from the refresher, ready to collect Hux for lunch, he did his best not to smile when he noticed one of the confections half eaten on the side table next to Hux as he read from his datapad. The rest of them were stuffed into Hux's pack, and Kylo considered that a win.

He ate the rest of Hux's confection and didn't stop the grin when the man hit him in the side with the datapad.


	4. Chapter 4

_Looks like we're continuing. And the Knights of Ren have returned! I'm rather fond of them, and I'm curious at how much I can write without having to actually name any of them. *nervous laughter*_

 _More importantly though, I can't wait to write about the Knights of Ren and horribly date my fic because my explorations are likely to be completely thrown out the window by the upcoming canon._

 _In other news, don't forget I'm taking creative liberties with some of the universe canon (aka the stuff I'm making up about holocrons & the planet Aleena), but more importantly: I updated the summary because we've finally got a plot! *throws confetti*_

* * *

 **Chapter 4**

Hux could feel his brain dissolving in the boredom.

For a while, he'd considered being Ren's advisor at worst, embarrassing and humiliating, but still a far better fate than death would be. Hux smashed his pillow over his face and resisted the urge to scream in to it. He had been wrong. So, very very wrong because this boredom was a worse fate. Had to be. He threw the pillow against the wall.

Hux rolled over on his side from the bed, pulling a leg up and crumpling his tunic. Kylo Ren was across the room, still fiddling with that blasted Sith Holocron like he'd been doing for the past week. A week that was in addition to the time they'd spent here prior to Ren running off and spending two days mediating on an outdoor bench.

With nothing to do, Hux was going to literally go mad if he had to put up with this boredom any longer. Even the limitless supply of candy from the market didn't make him feel better.

"That's it," Hux said, rolling off the bed. His boots clomped to the floor and he stomped across the room. "I'm going to open that stupid thing and we are leaving this blasted hotel room and this awful planet."

Ren sighed heavily, his fingers twitching. "It doesn't count if—"

"The hell it doesn't," Hux said, interrupting him. "I'm your advisor, that means I can act in your stead, which means it counts. Give that to me."

"Suit yourself." Ren floated the little box across the room and into Hux's waiting hand. He placed his chin in his hand and raised an eyebrow. "Good luck with that."

"I can't be any worse than your attempts," Hux said.

He turned on his heel and walked out of the room, plan already in mind. Even if it didn't work, he should at least escape from the boredom for a few minutes. Ren scrambled off the floor to follow him, amusingly enough. His plan was already working! Hux's tunic flapped about his legs as his stride widened, still far too loose. Once he'd reached the back of the hotel, Hux helped himself to opening the tool shed.

Standing in the middle, he addressed the Holocron.

"Alright now, you've made it clear that you won't open for Ren and I've got the Force sensitivity of a rock, which means you're going to have to open all on your own." Hux set the holocron on the ground and walked around the room. Ren was watching from the door of the shed, arms crossed and eyebrow raised. Hux paused only to pick up a rather sturdy iron bar. He smacked it against his palm. "Which you are going to do."

Hux stood in front of the holocron and summoned his "Speech" voice. "You will open in the next five minutes, or I'm going to smash you."

"Hux," Ren said, growling a little. "You can't smash it."

"Oh, yes I can," Hux said, turning to look at Ren. He struck the end of the pole on the ground near the holocron. It didn't crack the concrete floor, the but the sound still echoed in the small space. "And I've even found a way to justify it to our Supreme Leader, if you care to listen to your advisor."

"Go on," Ren said, carefully.

"Thank you," Hux said. He smiled and motioned at the holocron. "It's a defective little trinket that doesn't deserve anyone's time of day."

He turned to the holocron. "Do you hear that? You're a worthless, forgotten text book that probably has nothing more important in it than doodles in a margin. You weren't looked away, you were forgotten with a few worthless Jedi texts. No one looked for you. No one wants you. So my conclusion is you have nothing of importance to share, so if I destroy you, who cares?"

The holocron glowed once but stopped.

"All the pity, really." Hux smiled and walked around it, tapping the stick on the ground in time with his steps. "I'm sure the person who wrote you really did think that you had value once upon a time. Though personally, I think you're fighting us so very hard because you're blank. You don't want us to know your dirty little secret is that there's nothing there. And ah well, a holocron with nothing on it is only good for target practice, isn't it?"

The holocron didn't move.

"One minute little box." Hux lifted the bar over his head. "It really is a shame. Books are meant to be archives to be read and shared. It's the entire point of documenting them in the first place, which I'm sure your author knew when he made you. I'm hoping you really are blank, because in about two seconds whatever he might have wanted to archive is about to be eradicated."

The holocron still didn't move.

Hux smiled to himself. Whether it opened or not, he was about to have some real fun for the first time in weeks smashing the wretched thing wide open and into a billion little pieces.

He half wondered if Ren would intervene.

Hux swung the bar down and as it turned out, Ren didn't have to: The holocron opened with a burst of light, the pieces reconfiguring until it was open. The holocron's gatekeeper hologram hovered over it, scowling and fierce with clenched fists.

"You did it," Ren said, staring as if Hux had just ripped apart a planet with his bare hands. "I don't believe that worked."

"Piece of advise," the holocron's gatekeeper said, mouth twisting in disgust. He nodded his head toward Hux. "Take some tips from that guy if you really want to go Dark Side."

Hux did his best not to chuckle at Ren's pout as he floated the open box into his hand.

* * *

Hux and Ren had returned to the room to pack up their things, and prepare to leave the next morning. They'd had a quiet dinner (Ren wasn't talking to him), which didn't bother Hux in the slightest. They turned in shortly after, and Ren was still sulking that Hux had been the one to open the holocron, but that hardly sullied Hux's good mood: They were leaving this planet in the morning.

That was call for celebration in and of itself.

"What was written on that thing, anyway?" Hux asked, taking a bite of a piece of confectionary cake. The rich frosting melted in his mouth, and the intricate decorations crumbled. Hux caught the flakes and bits of extra frosting with his hand before they could hit the ground. "Did it have anything entertaining, at least?"

Ren had been reading the holocron for the better part of an hour now, so surely it had something interesting on it.

Hux frowned when Ren didn't answer. He prompted again, debating the effectiveness of throwing a piece of cake at the man's face. "Ren."

The knight jerked his head up, blinking owlishly as if he hadn't noticed Hux was there. He shook his head and asked, "Sorry, what was that?"

"What's on the holocron that has you so interested?" Hux asked. He shoved the last bit of the cake in his mouth, licking the frosting off his lip. "Something good must have caught your attention."

"It has a star map," Ren said, eyes darting to Hux's lip for a second (which Hux chose to ignore). Ren tapped the side of the box, bringing the hologram off the small viewing screen and projecting it into the room. He pointed at a small glowing planet in the heart of New Republic space in the same system as Naboo. "According to the records, there's a hidden cave on this planet full of growing kyber crystals that could rival the ice planet Illum."

"I hear hesitation in that sentence," Hux said, staring at the map. That sort of treasure trove would be worth billions if it was real. Kyber crystals were hard to come by and extraordinarily valuable even now. "Do you think the little box is lying?"

"No," Ren said. He spun the map, frowning. "I've studied the notes and texts for the past couple of hours and they seem legitimate. But I have a bad feeling about it."

"Well, it is in the middle of New Republic space," Hux said. He looked at the planet Naboo, frowning at the familiar planet. He really wished his Starkiller could have hit more systems than one at a time. It was a shame he never got around to the old Republic planets. Ren flinched and Hux cleared his throat, smothering his anger at clearly having his mind read again. "Do you think they know it's there? This holocron is awfully old."

"And was left behind for some reason," Ren said, looking away from Hux. He closed the holocron and held it in his palm. "It doesn't make any sense why this would be forgotten in some dilapidated Jedi temple."

"So what are you going to do about it?"

"Let our Supreme Leader decide," Ren said. He stood and put the holocron on the table with the others. His fingertips hesitated on the edge of the box and licked his lip (Hux pretended that he didn't stare). Ren turned to the bed and turned down the blankets. "We'd need his approval to go after it or leave it, either way."

Hux nodded, and ran a hand through his hair. He turned away from Ren quickly, and stared at his own bed. "Of course."

"Get your rest, Hux," Ren said. "I feel like we'll both be needing it."

* * *

Hux couldn't sleep.

At first he'd been rather proud of his little trick. How many non-sensitive people could claim to have cracked open a holocron? Hux doubted there were many others, likely none. And hardly anyone else with his credentials that could impress a Sith user.

It was even better considering the information on the disc was useful. Even if it was in enemy space, just knowing where it was gave them an advantage over their enemies.

However, Hux was the one who opened the box, when it was supposed to have been Ren.

Sure, he'd gone on and on about how he'd found a loophole by being Ren's advisor, but most of that was fast talking meant to fool the holocron gatekeeper. It worked, but he had a feeling the Supreme Leader would not be so easily swayed, even if Ren was his beloved apprentice.

Would the Supreme Leader be upset with Ren because he technically failed? If what the knight said was correct, the Supreme Leader would know everything when he read the man's mind. There'd be no way to hide the fact that Ren failed while powerless Hux managed to open it.

It couldn't be a good thing when a mere mortal was more powerful in the Dark Side than your Force-Sensitive apprentice, could it?

What if Ren was punished?

Hux rubbed his eyes with his hands. He shouldn't be worrying about this. It wasn't even of his business and since when did he worry about Ren?

Apparently since he'd picked Ren up out of the snow. That's when it all started. Hux had invested himself in keeping the man alive, and now as his advisor, he'd just plain old invested himself in the man himself.

Even the bag of candy mocked Hux from his pack, reminding him that it was a present of thanks for doing just that—worrying over Ren.

Hux rubbed his lips and sucked in slow breaths. He'd sat awake like this the other week when Ren had gone missing, too. Worrying. It wasn't like him.

He didn't like this.

He didn't want to feel like this.

Hux stood from the bed and walked to the other side of the room. He stared down at the sleeping man. Ren's hair fell in his face, much like Hux's own was doing at the moment. Hux gripped a fist and breathed in and out. The knight looked so peaceful asleep. As if the possibility of a suicide mission into New Republic space didn't bother the man at all.

Ren was a menace even when he was asleep.

As if summoned by the mere thought, Ren's eyes cracked open and stared at Hux. He looked lucid enough, but said nothing. Clearly, he was waiting for Hux to make the first move and explain why he was looming over the Knight as he slept like a stalker. Embarrassed at being caught, Hux did the same and held his tongue. He turned back toward his own bed without a word and buried himself under the covers.

He prayed Ren wasn't reading his mind; Heaven forbid the man ever know Hux was worried about him.

* * *

Silence was the modus operandi of the next morning and day. Hux and Ren finished packing the shuttle quietly while their pilot got the shuttle in motion. The trip back to Snoke's planet was too quiet and he and Ren internally contemplated what it might mean to have a map to such a valuable resource at their disposal.

The landing gate of their shuttle hadn't been open for more than a minute before one of Ren's knights came stalking into the hanger, his heavy coat flapping behind him wildly. It was a different knight than the girl who had attacked Hux when he first arrived on planet with the wounded Ren, but looked just as dangerous.

"My master," the knight said, stopping before Ren. His hood draped over his shoulders like a heavy robe, making him look rather like a monk. The skull-like black mask, however, ruined the effect a bit. "The Supreme Leader has asked for you."

"I'm on my way now," Ren said. He nodded and turned to Hux. "Did he say I was to go alone?"

"Yes," the knight said, bowing slightly. "I'll be escorting your, advisor, to his room."

"Very well," Ren said. He snatched up the satchel of holocrons from the seat of the shuttle and was on his way across the hanger.

Hux stood on the platform, steeling himself for time alone with one of Ren's knights. His last experience had been rather unpleasant, and he was in no mood for a repeat. And heaven help him if they all shared their master's temperament.

The new knight did not move, keeping his head tilted toward Ren as the man walked down the hanger. The mask was an annoyance, keeping Hux from even guessing what the man was thinking. But he also did not make a move toward Hux, nor do anything else.

Not wanting to stay stuck in the hanger all night, Hux found himself making the first move.

"Shall we?" Hux asked, finishing his walk down the steps. "I'd hate to keep you from your normal tasks."

"Serving my master is my only task," the knight said, his vocoder covering a lightly pitched voice. "And if he deems you worthy enough to keep around, then you could hardly be too much of a burden."

Hux made a mental note that in that context, Ren would be the master he served. Odd that he wouldn't be referring to Snoke. Wasn't their Supreme Leader the head of all the Knights? Or had Hux been mistaken in his understanding, and they only belonged to Snoke by proxy through Kylo Ren?

"This way," the knight said, turning his head toward the platform.

Picking up his personal bag and shifting his tunic, Hux followed the knight and made a mental map of their path to their quarters. Before they left, Hux had more or less been sharing a room with Ren. He wondered if that has changed since, or if he'd be stuck bunking with the knight again.

"I must admit you have me curious," the knight said, holding his hands in front of him. He cupped them together and tilted his head, shifting the long, cape-like robes. "After years of hearing nothing but complaints and insults about you from our master, it has us all wondering what you did to bewitch him so quickly at the last moment to have your life spared. My colleague was most disappointed she didn't get to kill you before. She had so been looking forward to it."

"Well, when I figure that out, I'll be sure to let you know," Hux said. He still hadn't the foggiest idea of why Ren bothered to save him from Snoke. For a while he figured it was petty revenge. Even the advisor position could have been a jab and a joke, but so far Ren had been taking it seriously. Hux didn't know what to do with that. "Who knows what goes on in his head?"

"More than you can imagine, I'm sure," the monkish knight replied, huffing at the end of his statement. Wonderful. Hux had ticked off another one of Ren's loyal lackeys. Wasn't his day going swimmingly? The knight stopped them before a room and opened the door with the panel. "You'll be staying here while the master is on planet."

"Thank you," Hux said, minding his manners. He stepped into the room, and dropped his bag on the floor.

"Until later," the knight said. He nodded his head and left, the door swooshing shut behind him.

The room was rather small for something found in a planet size fortress. Perhaps half the size of his room on the Finalizer. Hux sat on the edge of his bunk, stretching his legs out. The tips of his boots hit the other wall and he sighed.

Maybe sleeping on Ren's couch wasn't that bad after all.

* * *

Hux was thankfully awake when Ren invited himself into the cramped room without so much as a knock. He'd taken a nap earlier, but for the most part had nothing to do but sit on the bunk reading. He put the datapad down and stretched out his legs on the mattress.

"Did things go well?" Hux asked, crossing his ankles.

Ren glanced around the room, scrunching his nose at the quarters as if he didn't approve. He shook his head a moment later, clearing those thoughts. Ren said, "The Supreme Leader has asked us to verify and secure the cave."

"In the middle of New Republic space," Hux asked, raising an eyebrow. "Even with their senate destroyed, that's still quite a few enemy forces we'll have to face."

"The mission will be covert," Ren said. His mouth quirked into a smile and shrugged. "Or as convert as you can be with all seven Knights of Ren in action."

"So we're going to be spotted immediately and you lot are going to slaughter them," Hux translated.

Ren laughed, cover his mouth to stifle the sound, long fingers bent as they turned in toward his palm. He collected himself and ran his hand through his hair. "Though we will make every attempt to go undetected for as long as possible."

"Should be easy with seven Force users," Hux commented. He waved his fingers and shrugged. "With your mind tricks and all?"

"Seven?" Ren asked.

"Yes, you and six knights." Hux pulled his legs back and over, setting them on the floor. Ren took up the spot where they were, sitting on the edge of the bed. Hux licked the side of his teeth. "Or are there more? I could have sworn there were six under you."

"There are seven Knights of Ren including myself, yes." Ren smiled a bit. "But I'm the only one who's Force Sensitive."

"Well that's a well kept secret," Hux said. He leaned back against the wall, crossing his legs. He wondered if Ren was messing with him. It would be a fun trick to make Hux let his guard down around the six other mind readers. Hux inquired a little further, just to be sure. "Everyone assumes since they work for you and the Supreme Leader that they share your abilities."

"Not surprising," Ren said. He shifted his leg, his foot close to the other wall. He stretched it out farther, kicking it. "It's hard for most people to believe that Jedi Killers can be anything other than able to tap into the Force. They are highly skilled killers and are more than capable of holding their own, but they are about as force sensitive as you are."

"I don't know if that should be a comfort or a concern," Hux said.

"Take it as both," Ren said. He pressed his hands on his knees and shrugged. "Your concern is admirable because they are quite dangerous, but take comfort in that those dangerous individuals are on your side."

"I will keep that in mind," Hux said. He picked up his datapad and tapped open the calendar. "When are we leaving?"

"In the morning," Ren said. He stood, brushing off the bottom of his robes. "You might as well bring everything. We won't be returning until the cave and the kyber crystals have been secured, which will likely take longer than a week."

"Which is the extent of my clothes at the moment," Hux said, snorting.

"I'll collect you in the morning," Ren said. He left the room as easily as he entered it, without proper hellos or goodbyes.

Hux rubbed his eyes before turning to his bag on the ground. He'd yet to unpack anything from their last trip, so for all intents and purposes, Hux was already good to go for the morning.

He leaned over the bed, digging his hand into the side pocket. He tugged out a few pieces of candy and tossed them up and down in his hand. Hux popped them in his mouth and closed his eyes. Might as well get some sleep before dealing with the Knights in the morning.

* * *

Ren's mask was back.

Hux hated that was the first thing he noticed when Ren entered the room, his cowl up. He picked up his bag and threw it over his shoulder, following the knight into the hallway. "I take it we're ready to leave?"

"Good guess," Ren replied, the vocoder once again changing his voice into that unearthly tone.

"How far away is this planet? I wasn't paying that much attention when I last saw the map and didn't catch its name, too distracted by noting it was in New Republic space at all," Hux said, admitting his loss. It wasn't like him to let such details slip through his fingers. Some tactician, let alone advisor.

"We're going to Aleena in the Mid Rim," Ren said. "If you're unfamiliar, it's a rocky, desert planet. Supposedly it's hollow, but if this map is to be believed, it's also hiding secrets not even the locals are aware of."

Hux plucked at his tunic, and turned to look at Ren in his heavy robes an cowl. For once, he was glad to have the lighter colored outfit if they were going to a world of heat and sun. Hux dropped his tunic. "And the locals?"

"The Aleena are basically short, lizard people." Ren opened the door to the hanger with a swipe of his hand and the Force. "It should be easy to avoid them."

"Good," Hux said.

The six other knights waited for them next to the shuttle. Hux recognized the Monk from yesterday, and the girl with the blade was now armed with guns and bombs across her chest. There was a third knight in a heavy coat, and another with a large sniper rifle. A slim man with a half-cape draped across his shoulder and a checked-mask sat on a crate, a knife at his side. The last knight had a buzzsaw on the end of a stick.

All of them were in black, and all wore masks.

Hux felt subconscious in his eggshell tunic and navy overcoat as he stood among them. At least his boots were black.

"Are we ready to depart?" Ren asked, sweeping up the ramp. Hux followed, not sure what else to do. "The Supreme Leader made it clear we were not to delay."

"Yes, Master," the woman answered. The six followed Ren inside and took their seats, with the half-cape knight sitting in the pilot's seat. The woman stood next to Ren, bowing at the waist. "We've already programmed the course. We only had to wait for you."

"Good work. Take off when ready," Ren said. The knights dismissed themselves and began to put away their luggage in compartments. Ren oversaw this for a moment before he took a seat on the side wall, tugging down the harness over his chest.

Hux sat next to him, and did his best not to sigh in relief when no one sat directly next to either of them. Though he did notice a few glares in his direction (or what he assumed would be glares if their masks were off). Noticing the distance the knights put between themselves and Ren, perhaps they were jealous.

Or Hux was breaking some code of conduct.

Not that it mattered. He'd shared a bed with the man, so sitting next to him could hardly be any crime. Hux crossed his arms under the harness and stopped as he replayed that sentence in his mind combined with the word "Jealous Knights."

He should probably keep the fact he and Ren had slept in the same bed to himself with this crowd.

"Probably wise, yes," Ren said, leaning toward Hux.

Hux turned his head with a glare. "Stop reading my mind."

"I will when you stop thinking so loudly," Ren said. He leaned back in his seat as the engines started. Hux was about to reply when he was cut off by Ren. "And I meant that figuratively. You've been making faces for the past minute, so how could I not take a peek? You're losing your touch, Hux."

"Oh, shut up," Hux said, kicking Ren lightly in the leg.

Hux chose to ignore the weapons that were now pointed an inch closer to his location. As if the Knights or Ren weren't boogie man stories before, now he had to deal with possessive Knights.

As if Hux was any threat.


End file.
